Thread advancing reel having liquid applicator and wiper



June 19, 1-956 THREAD ADVANCING REEL HAVING LIQUID APPLICATOR AND WIPERJ. H.. GIVENS ET AL Filed June 18, 1952 INVENTORS JOHN HARRISON GIVENS,LESLIE ROSE a JOHN WALE BY LQM J M ATTOR N EY THREAD ADVANCING REELHAVING LIQUID APPLICATOR AND WIPER John H. Givens, Meriden, Leslie Rose,Whitefield, and John Wale, Coventry, England, assignors to IndustrialRayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication June 18, 1952, Serial No. 294,172 4 Claims. (CI. 68-19) Thisinvention relates to the production of artificial threads by wetspinning.

In one of the so-called continuous spinning processes for the productionof artificial threads, it is known to extrude a fiber-forming solutionsuch as viscose into a coagulating bath to form a thread which is thencarried on a pair of cylindrical rollers, the axes of which are skewedwith respect to one another so that the thread advances along therollers in a helical path, and to subject the thread as it advances overthe rollers to one or more aqueous liquid treatments, suitable provisionbeing made where necessary to maintain the liquid zones separate. Theprocessing liquids have usually been supplied directly to the rollers bymeans of supply pipes. With processes of this kind there is a maximumoperational speed, usually of the order of 80 to 100 meters per minute,because at speeds higher than the maximum the processing liquid is flungoff the rollers by centrifugal action at the point where it is appliedand consequently thereis no progressive liquid treatment such as washingon the rollers.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method ofsupplying treating liquids to roller machines which permits the use ofincreased spinning speeds. r

According to the present invention, there is provided a method and anapparatus for treating with liquid a thread-advancing in helical turnsover a pair of rollers which comprises supplying the treatment liquid toone or more surfaces which touch the thread pack so that the liquid istaken up by the travelling thread and removing excess liquid from thethread pack by leading it into contact with one or more additionalsurfaces which also touch the thread pack. In this specification, theterm thread pac is used to denote the complete set of helices of threadwhich are undergoing treatment in the liquid treatment zone.

The thread-advancing rollers are preferably arranged one verticallyabove the other with the liquid-supplying and applying surface orsurfaces positioned between them on the side of the thread packtravelling upwards, and the liquid-removing surface or surfacessimilarly positioned on the other side of the thread pack, that is thethread travelling downwards. With this arrangement the liquid issupplied to the thread pack by one or more surfaces on its upwardtravel, carried over the top roller and then downwards until it isremoved by the other oppositely positioned surface or surfaces.

The supplying and wiping surfaces may conveniently take the form ofglass rods slightly inclined to the horizontal, the treating liquid, forexample water, being dripped on to one end of the liquid-supplyingsurface so that the liquid runs down the rod into contact with thethread pack. A similar rod on the other side of the thread pack servesto remove excess liquid. In other forms of the invention, small rotatingrollers may be used as the liquid applying and removing surfaces, or asingle rotating roller may be provided between the helices of thread,

nited States Patent 9 the treatment liquid being supplied to one side ofthe roller.

The invention also includes a machine for the production of artificialthreads comprising a pair of rollers, the axes of which are skewed withrespect to one another so that thread may be advanced in helical turnsover the rollers, one or more treating liquid supplying and applyingrods or rollers having surfaces so arranged as to touch the thread packbetween the rollers, means for supplying liquid to the said applyingsurfaces and one or more additional rods or rollers having surfaceswhich are also so arranged as to touch the thread pack for removal ofexcess liquid from the thread pack.

The present invention may be used for carrying out either a singleliquid treatment or a number of different treatments by using groups,each consisting of two sets of surfaces for each particular treatment.It is an advantage of the present invention that the surfaces confinethe treatment liquid to the zone covered by the surfaces and thus to thethread pack,and it is therefore unnecessary to make further provisionfor separating the liquids. The machines according to the inventionoperate successfully at speeds as high as meters per minute.

An example of a machine in accordance with the invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the processing portion of the machine; and

Figure 3 is a modification of the thread treating portion of the machineof Figure 1.

Viscose from a main supply pipe 1 is passed through a pump 2 and acandle filter 3 and is extruded from a jet 4 into a coagulant bath 5 toform a thread 6. The thread 6 leaving the bath 5 passes through a threadguide 7 then to a godet 7A, then on to the stepped end 8 of a roller 9.The thread 6 passes round the stepped end 10 of a second roller 11 andafter passing round the stepped ends 8, 10 for two turns it is led on tothe main part of the rollers 9, 11 by a thread guide 12. The roller 11is canted slightly with respect to roller 9, as shown in Figure 2 sothat the rollers together constitute a threadadvancing device on whichthe thread travels ina number of advancing helical turns. The rollers 9,11 are fixed on shafts 13, 14 and are driven through suitable gearing ina housing 15. The thread travels over thefirst part of the rollers 9, 11without any liquid treatment to allow regeneration of the cellulose inthe thread to continue. Beyond the regeneration stage the thread 6 iswashed with water supplied by a pipe 16 to a rod 17 of glass, or ofother corrosion resisting material or glass or wettable or the likesurfaced, which lightly touches the thread pack as it travels upwards.Water so suplied runs down the rod 17 and is taken up by the thread packover the roller 9 and removed by a second rod 18 which just touches thethread as it travels downwards. A drip pan 19 is provided below roller11 to collect the wash liquor removed by the rod 18. The thread leavingthe rollers 9, 11 is dried on a drying device consisting of aninternally heated rotating roller 20 and an unheated auxiliary roller21. The dried thread is collected as a package on a holder 22 by a capspinning device 23.

Instead of the stationary rods 17, treating liquid supplying rollers canbe utilized. As shown in Figure 3 a treating liquid is supplied by afeeding roller 33 to a thread helix being formed and advanced by a reelcomprising the skewed spaced rollers 25 and 27 mounted on shafts 29 and30 supported in an end support 31. A liquid supply 32 spills a treatingliquid onto the surface of the roller 33 rotated oppositely to thetravel of the thread turns by a power means 34. The liquid flows alongthe roller surface by force of gravity to be picked up by the pluralityof'consecutive turns of the thread helix with which his in'contact. Asimilar roller (not shown) is located on the opposite side of the helixfor wiping off the excess from that helix portion with which it is incontact. These rollers 33 can be positioned withinthe travellinghelixand in contact therewith if desired. However, it is more convenient tohave them in external contact with the helix. The-present invention isillustrated by the following example directed to the treatment ofviscose rayon threads; percentages are by weight.

Example Viscose containing 8 per cent of cellulose and 6 per cent ofsodium hydroxide and having a salt-point of 6.0 was extruded into acoagulant bath through a jet containing 16 holes of inch diameter toproduce a 60 denier thread, the coagulating bath being at 60 centrigradeand-containing '9 per cent of sulphuric acid, 20 per cent of sodiumsulphate and 1 per cent of zinc sulphate.

The thread was withdrawn from the bath .at a rate of a'bout 130 metersper minute by the godet 7A then passed to a pair of cantedthread-advancing rollers 9, 10, having a peripheral speed of 150 metersper minute. The rollers were cylindrical, 45 inches long, 7 inches indiameter, and were arranged one above the other, 18 inches apart withlower roller at an angle of 3 from the horizontal tilting downwardstowards the entrance end of the rollers. Over the first 21 inches of therollers 9, 11 the thread was advanced without any liquid treatment atall so as to complete regeneration of the thread. Approximately midwaybetween the rollers on both sides of the thread, two glass rods 17, 18were provided, both rods being at an angle of about 7 to the horizontaland arranged so that they just touched the turns of the thread. The rods17, 18 are projected for a distance of about two feet from the dischargeend of the rollers so that the thread pack in the washing zone alsoextended for about two feet. Water at a rate of about 150 ccs. perminute was supplied to the rod in contact with the turns of threadpassing vertically upwards so that'the water passed down the rod and wastaken up by the thread; the glass rod 18 in contact with the threadpassing vertically downwards removed most of the liquid adhering to thethread after it left the top roller 9. The water did not pass beyond theend of either of the glass rods 17, 18. The washed thread leaving therollers 9, 11 was passed -toa heated thread-advancing reel 20 to dry itand the dry thread was collected on a cap twisting device 23 in knownmanner.

'We claim:

1. An :apparatus for processing with a treating liquid a plurality ofturns of thread being advanced in a helical path comprising; a pair ofgenerally vertically spaced driven rolls; means to position said rollsrelative to each other so as to advance and store thread in a generallyelongated helix having substantially straight runs; a treating liquidapplicator positioned in contact with one of said straight runs having alongitudinally continuous surface in contact with a plurality ofconsecutive turns of said thread helix; said applicator being positioneddownwardly inclined from the horizontal so that an applied treatingliquid will flow therealong by gravity to the thread helix; and a liquidwiper having a longitudinally continuous surface being in contact with aplurality of consecutive turns of said other straight run of said helix;said liquid wiper being positioned downwardly inclined from thehorizontal so that processing liquid is discharged by gravity from itslowermost end.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the-applicator andthe wiper are supported from one end.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the applicator andthe liquid wiper have corrosion resistant, wettable surfaces.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the applicator-andthe liquid wiper surfaces are of glass.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,398,043 Rau Nov. 22, 1921 1,531,189 Johnson Mar. 24, 1925 1,934,796Friederich Nov. 14, 1933 2,194,084 Gulbrandsen Mar. 19, 1940 2,254,251Uytenbogaart Sept. 2, 1941 2,294,871 Sellner Sept. 1, 1942 2,385,097McLellan Sept. 18, 1945 2,453,366 Furness Nov. 9, 1948 2,481,916 EwingSept. 13, 1949 2,504,703 Kuljian Apr. 18, 1950 2,558,731 Cresswell July3, 1951 2,562,199 McLellan et a1. July 31, 1951 2,573,578 Kuljian Oct.30, 1951 2,647,037 Luther July 28, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,871 GreatBritain of 1906 522,383 Germany Apr. 13, 1931 OTHER REFERENCES Journalof the Textile Institute, January 1948, pages 9-to 13.

